noun
- Members of a jury in ancient Athens who were selected by lot to hear and decide legal cases.
Usage: historical; plural of dicast; typically used in academic or historical contexts
Examples
- The dicasts in ancient Athens were ordinary citizens chosen randomly to serve on juries.
- Dicasts were paid a small fee for their service to the state.
- Athenian dicasts had the power to vote on both guilt and punishment in trials.
- The system of dicasts was a cornerstone of Athenian democracy.
- Hundreds of dicasts might be selected each year to hear various cases.